A Content Analysis of Online Customer Reviews Related to Themed Hotels

Abstract

Purpose – To draw a conceptual framework of themed hotels and determine the most prominent elements in customer comments by analysing online reviews.
Design/methodology/approach – In line with the study's purpose, customer reviews of three themed hotels in Antalya province that received the highest number of reviews on the TripAdvisor platform between March 2023 and March 2025 were evaluated. A total of 138,661 words, comprising 129,023 positive and 9,638 negative comments, were analysed using the MAXQDA programme, a widely used tool for qualitative data analysis. A qualitative research method was employed, using the content analysis technique.
Findings – Positive comments are considerably higher than negative comments. 94.2% of comments were positive. The word cloud revealed that the words 'satisfied', 'staff' and 'food' stood out. In negative comments, the words 'meals' and 'room' stood out. It was determined that the word 'food' in negative comments was related to the organisation of the food presentation.
Discussion – In order to increase customer satisfaction, it is important for themed hotels to develop not only thematic aesthetics and atmosphere, but also operational strategies to balance service intensity.